


Dark Paradise

by Brandi_Golightly



Category: The Town (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-16
Updated: 2013-07-11
Packaged: 2017-12-15 03:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/844601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brandi_Golightly/pseuds/Brandi_Golightly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After her mother is killed in a car accident, Cassidy Leary leans on Jem Coughlin to heal.  But the accident has repercussions and it sends the couple on a downward spiral that neither of them can recover from.  Teenage Jem.  Jem/OFC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't the first time I've written for this fandom, or written fanfiction in general. But this is the first piece of work I'm posting on this site. Leave kudos, comments, likes, or whatever they're called on here. I'd really appreciate it. Enjoy!

It started at dinner.

A simple conversation about the family’s financial situation had turned into a bloodthirsty hankering for violence. Seventeen-year-old Cassidy Leary had been sitting in between her parents – on her father’s right and her mother’s left – watching the scene unfold in front of her. Typically, Cassidy would get involved, spewing hate and profanities for her own personal enjoyment, but she’d been involved in this argument one too many times. Nothing she said or did convinced her parents, so she merely picked up her plate, set it in the sink, and headed to her bedroom.

It was a good ten minutes after she retired to her bedroom when the sound of violence started up. She heard a glass shatter and she could’ve sworn the floor shook because someone had overturned the kitchen table. It wouldn’t surprise her if that was the case anyways.

About an hour later, the chaos calmed down. Her mother had slammed her bedroom door while her father had no doubt cracked open a beer and retired to his worn out armchair to pass out during a Sox game. Cassidy knew it wasn’t over, but she waited for at least another hour before tiptoeing down the hall to take a shower. She had school in the morning after all. She wasn’t going to let another family argument keep her from getting an education.

The house was still eerily silent when Cassidy shut off the lights in her bedroom and crawled into bed. Strangely, she thought, for once, she was actually going to get a good night of uninterrupted sleep. But with her crazy family, there was no chance.

She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep until she felt herself being shaken awake.

“Cassidy, wake up,” she heard her mom hiss.

“Mom,” she mumbled sleepily. “Leave me alone.”

“Cassidy, get up. Let’s go. We’re leaving,” her mother whispered.

Cassidy furrowed her brow in confusion, lifting her head slightly to glance at the alarm clock on her bedside table. The red numbers stared back at her, mocking her as they read 2:56 in the morning. Cassidy sighed and then glanced over her shoulder at her mother.

“What do you mean we’re leaving?” Cassidy grumbled.

“Pack a bag or two.” With that, Cassidy’s mother was out of the room, disappearing down the dark hallway. Cassidy shook her head before whipping the covers off of her body and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She crouched alongside her bed and pulled out an oversized duffle bag from underneath.

For the next several minutes, she did as she was told, packing as much stuff as possible into her bag. Underwear, bras, jeans, and t-shirts were shoved into the bag as it began to overflow.

“Cassidy, are you ready?”

The brunette jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice coming from the doorway. She saw only a vague silhouette but she knew her mother was there.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replied in a whisper as she struggled to zip up her bag. After a few seconds of fierce resistance, the zipper slid along its tracks, sealing the clothes inside. Cassidy swung the bag onto her shoulder and slipped into a pair of Converse sneakers before blindly stumbling across the room to her mother.

“Let’s go,” Cassidly said flatly. She followed her mother through the house, which was pitch black with the exception of a white glow coming from the living room. As they passed by the living room, she saw her father passed out in his arm chair, several beer bottle scattered around his on the floor. The TV was playing an early morning infomercial for some fat-burning exercise equipment that was most likely a rip off.

Cassidy glanced around the living room quickly before following her mother out the front door. There was no telling when she would be back, or if she ever would be. She didn’t like the thought of leaving her home, even if it was a shattered, dysfunctional one. But she had no idea where they were going and for how long. She might as well soak it up as much as possible while she had the chance.

They reached the car parked on the curbside and Cassidy’s mother unlocked the passenger door before running over to the driver’s side. With a yawn, Cassidy climbed into the car, throwing her duffle bag into the backseat of the car. Even in her half-asleep haze, she managed to click her seatbelt into place and then curl up for the ride ahead of them.

Her mom didn’t say anything to her when she climbed into the driver’s seat and tossed her own bags into the backseat. She jammed the key into the ignition and started the car. Before Cassidy knew it, they pulled out of their parking spot and headed up their street at a crawl.

They headed up their street and then turned left onto Bunker Hill. Suddenly, Cassidy realized that since she had no idea if she’d be back, she knew there was a chance she’d never see her friends again. She didn’t have a big group of friends; three was a pretty decent sized group. Cassidy had known Krista Coughlin since kindergarten when they had Mrs. Anthony together. They’d never considered themselves best friends but Krista was always around when Cassidy needed someone to hang out with. Through Krista, Cassidy had met Doug Macray, someone whom Cassidy considered to be like a protective older brother. Krista and Doug had always had a thing for one another. From the elementary school playground crush to the high school fling, Krista and Doug were always, somehow, associated with one another.

But the most important person Cassidy had met through Krista had been her brother, Jem. When Cassidy had first met Jem, she didn’t like him. In fact, she hated him. When she first met Jem, Cassidy had been over at Krista’s house for a play date one day when she was seven. Jem had been a surly and sour person towards Cassidy, pulling her hair and even shoving past her when he tried to get to the kitchen for lunch first.

But Cassidy didn’t cry like most girls. If a boy was mean to her, she retaliated. She fought back. So when Jem had shoved her out of the way, she grabbed him by the shirt collar and shoved him into the wall. It took a while for them to actually warm up to one another. But when they did, they found that they really were a match made in friendship heaven.

However, their teenage years were being cruel to them. Both Cassidy and Jem had always been straightforward to one another. But recently, Cassidy and Jem felt different. Jem was a tough son-of-a-bitch and he only hooked up with girls to please himself and only himself. Cassidy had hooked up with guys at parties, but honestly, she’d only let them go to second base, sometimes third base if she was feeling really drunk. But even in her drunken haze, she still knew when to draw the line. Besides, even though she was from Charlestown, born and bred, she was saving her virginity for someone specific. And that someone wasn’t going to be some sleazy guy at a local Charlestown high school party.

The thought of leaving without telling Krista, Doug, and especially Jem goodbye made her sullen. Of course she’d call them once they’d settle at their destination, but letting them find out that way wasn’t how she wanted it to play out.

“I didn’t say goodbye to them,” Cassidy mumbled as she stared out the window, watching the homes on Bunker Hill whiz by her window.

“We’ll call them when we get there, sweetheart,” Cassidy’s mother sighed. She flicked the turn signal up and turned right onto Sullivan before they’d even reached the three-story Coughlin home.

Cassidy wasn’t quite sure where they were going as she watched the buildings of Boston rush past her window in a blur of lights. The city was tranquil for three in the morning, which was strange since Boston was never this quiet.

“So where are we going?” Cassidy asked as she stifled a yawn and then rested her head on the car door.

“Anywhere,” her mother responded.

Cassidy furrowed her brow. “You have no idea where to go? Why don’t we go to Grandma’s or Aunt Jodie’s?”

“That’s where he’ll look first,” her mother spat.

Cassidy rolled her eyes, shifting her position in her seat. This whole situation was spinning out of control. It had started when Cassidy’s mom lost her job. The diner she waitressed at was going out of business so of course everyone was let go. This caused Cassidy’s father to go looking for a second job until Cassidy’s mom could find another one. But that had been two years ago and Cassidy’s mom was still jobless.

To say that she was being lazy was an understatement. She wasn’t even trying and the situation was getting to the point that Cassidy had offered to get a job after school. But her father had protested, claiming that it wasn’t Cassidy’s job to support the family.

It was Mrs. Leary’s fault anyways. The family’s financial situation was dire all because of her. Their personal troubles were getting in the way of their happiness. All three of them fought all the time and it almost always ended with Mr. and Mrs. Leary throwing household items at one another. Why Cassidy was in the car with her mother when all of this was her fault, she wasn’t quite sure. She’d been half asleep when her mother ambushed her so she guessed it seemed logical at the time. But as she thought about all the reasons their family had crumbled, she realized that she’d made a mistake getting in the car with her mother.

Their family wasn’t perfect. They weren’t a cookie-cutter family with a white picket fence, a dog, and three goldfish. They had their issues like every family. But through it all, they were her family. And when she didn’t feel like considering them her family, she considered the Coughlins her second family. They welcomed her with open arms when she snuck out of her window at night during an argument and showed up on their doorstep at two in the morning. Mrs. Coughlin would make her some hot chocolate and then hand her the extra blankets and pillows so she could create a makeshift bed on Jem’s bedroom floor.

And Jem. Jem would always make her feel better. His family had issues – his father was most likely going to die in prison – so he would always wave that in front of her face to make her feel better. It didn’t matter what was happening in her family because Jem always had a worse story to tell. So who cared if her mother wanted to leave? Let her leave. If that created more troubles at home, at least she’d have Jem to make her feel better about it.

“Mom, take me back,” Cassidy said flatly. Her eyes were still focused on the cityscape outside of her window. She didn’t dare to meet her mother’s eyes.

“Cassidy, sweetheart, what are you talking about?” her mother asked blankly.

“Take me home,” Cassidy demanded. “I want to go back home.”

“Cassidy, everything’s going to be okay. We’ll work this out.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind!” Cassidy shouted, slapping her hand on the arm rest between her and her mother. “You’re running away from something that’s your fault, so take me home!”

In the faint city lights that shined through the windshield, Cassidy could see her mother’s pain stricken face. Of course she didn’t expect Cassidy to lash out at her the way she did. Up until a couple minutes ago, Cassidy had been more than willing to tag along. Now, she had changed her mind.

“Cassidy, I - .”

Cassidy heard it before she saw it. The blaring horn drowned out the rest of the Mrs. Leary’s sentence. Cassidy barely had time to gasp before the tractor trailer hit the driver’s side of their Honda Civic, flipping it over several times. The car skidded to a halt on its roof in the middle of the road, its windshield shatter into thousands of tiny pieces.

Cassidy moaned, her head throbbing in pain. She could feel a wetness seeping into her hair and down her face. Her vision was blurry and there was a pain in her shoulder. She barely had time to process what had happened before darkness swallowed her.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

It ended at a graveyard.

The sympathetic stares of family, friends, and colleagues surrounded Cassidy and her father as they solemnly watched the casket of a mother and wife slowly lower into the ground. Cassidy’s head still throbbed and her shoulder still ached, but nothing hurt worse than the stabbing pain in her heart. This was her fault. If she hadn’t been arguing with her mom, she would still be here. If she had just kept her mouth shut and agreed to go wherever they were going, they wouldn’t be lowering her lifeless body into the ground.

As soon as the chestnut coffin was securely six feet under, the funeral attendees started to disperse, traipsing through the soggy grass to their cars. For a few seconds, Cassidy and her father stared at the plot before Mr. Leary wandered off, leaving Cassidy alone.

The brunette dropped into a plastic chair behind her, adjusting the sling that took the strain off of her wounded shoulder. It still hadn’t hit her yet that she wouldn’t see her mom again, and she still couldn’t believe she was the reason why. Residents of Charlestown died every day, whether it be from drugs or they were shot and killed on an embankment alongside the Charles. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, but Cassidy still couldn’t believe this was her reality. It was like a nightmare she hadn’t quite woken up from yet.

A sigh to her right pulled her out her thoughts and she quickly wiped away tears that she hadn’t realized had formed. Carefully shifting in her seat, she was greeted with the sight of Jem Coughlin lounging like a whore in the plastic chair next to her. His tie was undone and his dress shirt was untucked. His head lolled backwards, soaking in the slight drizzle that was starting to form.

He must have sensed Cassidy watching him because he raised his head and turned his body towards her. Jem had been by her bedside when she woke up in the hospital in a panic. That had been almost two weeks ago, and he hadn’t left her side since unless it was absolutely necessary.

The 17-year-old sighed before stretching his arms above his head. “So, you ready to head back?” he asked.

Cassidy shrugged, wincing at the pain that shot through her shoulder.

“Come on,” he said as he jumped from his seat. “I bet your Grandma made that really good chocolate cake with the peanut butter chips on top.”

Cassidy shook her head. “Do you realize my mom’s dead?”

Jem cocked his head to the side, eyeing Cassidy in question. “What?”

“My mom,” Cassidy said. “She’s dead. She’s fucking dead!” The brunette shot up from the chair and stood in front of Jem, leaving only inches of space between. “My mother is dead and all you care about is food!”

“For Christ’s sake, Cassidy, I’m trying to lighten the mood!”

“Well don’t!” she snapped. “I did this. I had to be an asshole and ask to go back because of you!”

Jem furrowed his brow in bewilderment. “What do you mean because of me?”

Cassidy shook her head. “Forget it,” she said as she pushed past the elder Coughlin sibling. But she didn’t make it far. She felt her uninjured arm get jerked back, causing her to spin around and come face-to-face with Jem.

“Let go of my arm!” she barked.

Jem shook his head. “Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”

She yanked her arm from Jem’s grasp and then shot him a nasty look. “Like you don’t fucking know,” she growled.

“No, I don’t.”

“I like you!” she shouted and Jem’s jaw dropped. Cassidy scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You teenage boys really are oblivious.”

Continuing to shake her head, she started to stroll away from Jem. She knew Jem wouldn’t understand. She hadn’t exactly been obvious, but she hadn’t been discreet either. Jem wasn’t the brightest bulb in the bunch, but she thought he’d at least figure something was up.

She wasn’t very far from her mother’s grave when her arm was yanked backwards again. She stopped dead in her tracks and whipped around to lash out at Jem, but stopped when she felt his lips on hers. They were kind of dry, but soft and pillow-like at the same time. His hands were cupping the sides of her face, his fingers softly caressing the fading bruise on her temple.

It was quick but to Cassidy, it felt like an eternity. She was so lost in the moment that she’d whimpered out of discontent when Jem pulled away.

“That what you meant?” he asked in his husky, deep voice.

Cassidy stared back at him solemnly, nodding weakly.

“You know, when a boy likes a girl, he teases her,” he pointed out.

Cassidy cracked a smile, biting her lower lip. It felt wrong to smile in a graveyard, not to mention several feet from her own mother’s grave, but she knew Jem had a point. She lightly shoved Jem in the shoulder then started to walk towards the cars to meet up with her father.

“So, wait, are we dating or not? Because I regret wasting my saliva if it’s a no,” Jem called after her.

“How about we talk about it over my Grandma’s chocolate cake?” she tossed over her shoulder with a smirk.

She heard the squishing of the grass from behind her as Jem struggled to catch up. When he did, he flicked her in her uninjured shoulder before jogging ahead as if to challenge her to a race to the cars. Cassidy shook her head and then stopped in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder to her mother’s grave again. The cemetery staff was already working to cover her coffin with dirt and Cassidy felt her throat constrict while tears started to prickle in the corners of her eyes.

“Cass, come on!” she heard Jem shout.

She swallowed heavily and then turned towards the cars to see Jem leaning up against his mom’s car with Krista and Doug on either side of him. Without another glance towards her mother’s grave, she headed towards the cars to join Jem, Krista, and Doug. She would have never traded her mother’s life for a relationship with Jem Coughlin, but she hoped that it would at least be a step in the right direction for emotional recovery.


	2. Chapter 2

Three months later…

The thump of the bass shook the walls of the home on Bunker Hill Street. High school students flocked to the house in hopes of getting trashed within minutes. Jem and Cassidy followed Krista and Doug up the walkway, lagging behind several feet to give the lovebirds some space.

In the three months since Cassidy’s mother’s death, the pain hadn’t subsided. Cassidy still felt the empty hole in her heart. The fact that she still blamed herself for distracting her mother and causing the accident didn’t aid the healing process. At least twice a week, she would visit her mother’s grave and talk to her, in hopes that she would respond. In one particular week, she visited her mother’s grave nine times.

But Jem made it easier for her. He would always be waiting for her on the edge of the cemetery after she visited her mother’s grave. Every single time, he would be there. He would get her out of the house to keep her occupied. He would meet her at school (Jem had dropped out two months after her mother’s death) and walk her home.

Based on this, many people thought Jem and Cassidy were deeply in love (which, believe it or not, was very true) but they didn’t like people pointing it out. In fact, when they were around friends or family, they still acted how they did before they started dating, hurling insults at one another for their own amusement. But when it was just the two of them, Jem let his guard down, as did Cassidy. Only the two of them knew what they were really like around one another.

They were so unlike Krista and Doug, who, as they walked up to the house, were holding hands. Krista and Doug enjoyed letting the whole world know they were a couple and constantly made out at parties. While Jem and Cassidy showed some displays of affection, they kept it to a minimum.

Continuing up the walkway, Cassidy saw Krista tilt her head towards Doug and whisper something his ear. It was most likely dirty and inappropriate. Krista was already partially wasted after pre-gaming at their house. Cassidy saw Doug turn to Krista and a slight smirk was twitching at the corner of his lips.

Amused with this minor exchange, Cassidy leaned towards Jem to make a snide comment. “How long do you think it’ll take her to find the coke at this party and fuck Doug sideways in the bathroom?”

Jem snorted a laugh. “I give her five minutes, but she’ll probably find it in less.”

They walked up the porch steps and stepped inside. The boisterous music assaulted their ear drums and the smell of pot and beer attacked their nostrils. Without a word to one another, they made their way across the living room of the house and into the basement where the keg was. On their way through, they grabbed a few red Solo cups and then headed towards the keg.

Cassidy broke away from Jem and crossed the basement to find a safe place to hang out. She watched from across the room as Jem filled both of their cups with beer and then pushed through the crowd to join her.

With a smile that she only reserved for Jem, she took the red cup from him and took a long sip of beer. Cassidy had been quite a champion of a drinker before her mother’s death but afterwards, she sometimes drank so much that she blacked out. Jem had stepped in after a couple of weeks so he could monitor her alcohol intake. Now, Jem was the one to cut her off. It was usually after her third beer because he didn’t want to risk it.

As she took another sip of her beer, she saw Jem eyeing her over the top of his own cup. She swallowed her gulp of beer before turning to him. “Something you need?” she asked condescendingly.

“Nope,” he said, shaking his head.

“It’s only my first beer, Jem,” she scowled.

“I didn’t say anything. Christ,” he cussed.

Cassidy rolled her eyes before taking another sip of her beer. She scanned the room to see if there was anyone from school that she knew. Likely not since the people she knew at school wouldn’t get caught dead at a party like this, but it was worth a shot at looking.

She was lost in thought when Krista and Doug came stumbling to Jem and Cassidy. Krista’s eyes were wide and her pupils practically took up the entire iris of her eyes. Doug looked a little jittery, but otherwise, he was fine.

“This party sucks,” Krista griped as she took a sip of the vodka and cranberry she brought along with her.

“What? Did you use up all of the coke?” Jem asked. “If the party sucks, then it’s your fault.”

“Hey, fuck you, Jem,” Krista snapped before taking another swig of her drink.

From the corner of the room, a ratty old couch was vacated by some pot smokers and Jem jumped at the chance to take it. He grabbed Cassidy by the arm, spilling some of her beer in the process, and flopped down on the couch with Cassidy on top.

“Jem, what the fuck?” she exclaimed, straightening up with not another drop of beer spilt from her cup.

“You’ll survive,” Jem grunted as he straightened up as well. Once Jem was situated, Cassidy sat in his lap, resting her back against his chest. When Cassidy got tipsy, she got a little more flirtatious than usual.

As Cassidy shifted in his lap, her t-shirt rode up on her hips, revealing a nasty black and blue bruise on her hip bone. Instinctively, Jem reached out and brushed a finger over the bruise. The brunette shivered reflexively at Jem’s touch.

“What’d you do there?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she mumbled as she pulled her t-shirt down. “I ran into the corner of my desk the other day.”

Jem knew there was something she wasn’t telling him. Her reaction to his touch was strange, almost as if she hadn’t wanted him to see the bruise in the first place. Even though they’d been dating since her mother’s funeral, there were still some instances when her guard went back up and she didn’t want to share anything with Jem. He would get frustrated of course, but he would let it go and wouldn’t push it any further.

Cassidy tilted her head back onto Jem’s shoulder as she emptied the contents of her cup. She shook it and then handed it to Jem. “Get me another?” she asked hopefully.

Jem rolled his eyes before pushing Cassidy off of his lap. The brunette scowled at Jem as he rose from the couch and snatched her cup from her hand.

“I’m not your bitch, Cass!” Jem snapped cockily.

“You are until you turn 18 next month, Coughlin!” she called back with a smirk on her face.

Jem couldn’t help but smile when she got smart with him. It was like she was the female version of him, almost as if she was made for him. He pushed through the crowd of drunk party-goers, who were stumbling and grinding on one another to the beat of the music.

“You’re whipped, Coughlin!”

Jem stiffened at the sound of that voice. Jem had come to this party to have a good time and hang out with Cassidy. Now, that was all ruined with the presence of this douchebag.

“The fuck did you say to me, Leahy?” Jem snarled as he turned around to find Brendan Leahy, standing with his arms crossed and flanked by his two burliest friends. Leave it up to Brendan to provoke Jem in order to entertain himself.

“You’re whipped. You and Leary over there, she’s got you wrapped around her little finger,” Brendan said.

“I’m not whipped,” Jem growled as he stepped towards Brendan.

“Really? Prove it,” Brendan challenged.

“How the fuck do you want me to do that, dipshit?” Jem countered.

“Say fuck it and end it with her,” Brendan said with a shrug.

Jem rolled his eyes. “I know you’ve had a thing for Cassidy for years, Leahy.” Jem stepped closer to Brendan but the other teen didn’t budge. “You’re not gonna come near her. You’re not gonna touch her. She’s my fucking girlfriend.”

“I hear you guys still haven’t fucked yet. Is that true?” Brendan asked with a smirk.

Jem dropped Cassidy’s cup and balled his hands into fists. Brendan was really pushing him to his breaking point.

“I bet she’s scared, scared of what her mama would think. But who gives a shit, she’s rotting in the ground anyways,” Brendan cackled.

Jem pulled his fist back but he stopped when Cassidy stepped in between him and Brendan. She wrapped her fingers around Jem’s fist and lowered his arm.

“Cass, stay out of this,” Jem growled, his eyes not leaving Brendan’s.

“Walk away, Jem. Walk away,” she said through clenched teeth.

“No,” he growled, eyes still locked on Brendan’s.

“Hey!” she snapped, grabbing Jem’s face and directing his gaze to hers. “I’m not in the mood to clean the blood off of you tonight so walk the fuck away.”

Jem yanked his face out of Cassidy’s grip and glared at Brendan one more time before turning on his heel. He could feel Cassidy right behind him.

“What did I tell you, Coughlin? Whipped!” Brendan shouted.

Jem rolled his eyes but didn’t turn around. Cassidy would be in the way and the last thing he wanted was Cassidy to get hurt because of him. But shouting from behind caused him to turn around. He found Brendan stumbling as he clutched the side of his face while Cassidy was shaking her right hand.

“Talk to him again and I’ll do worse than punch you in the goddamn face,” Cassidy snarled.

Without receiving a response, she turned on her heel, visibly seething as she stomped towards Jem. She didn’t say a word as she marched past him and up the stairs. Jem didn’t look back at Brendan as he followed Cassidy up the stairs. He followed the brunette through the house and out the front door. She stomped down the front steps, still fuming over her altercation with Brendan.

“Hey, stop, stop,” Jem said breathlessly, grabbing Cassidy by the arm. She whipped around, looking like she was ready to attack, but she calmed down at the sight of Jem. “What the hell was that about?”

Cassidy shrugged, diverting her gaze from Jem’s. “I don’t know.”

“It was really sexy,” Jem said flirtatiously.

“He said shit about my mom,” she mumbled, her eyes focused on the ground.

And Jem knew that was the only reason she’d acted out. If Brendan hadn’t mentioned her mom, she would’ve never attacked him. Her knuckles wouldn’t be bruised and Brendan wouldn’t have a black eye in the morning. But cocky little shit Brendan Leahy used anything for ammo in a fight, so of course he used Cassidy’s mother.

Sighing, Jem wrapped an arm around Cassidy’s shoulders and pulled her close as she shivered against the cold February air. “Come on. I’m freezing my balls off. Let’s go back to my house.”

Cassidy nodded at Jem’s suggestion and leaned into his embrace. They awkwardly walked down the sidewalk as they headed back to his house on Bunker Hill. The three-story home came into view after a couple minutes and the couple headed up the steps and into the warm house.

The house was completely dark – Jem’s mom having most likely gone to sleep hours ago – and it was dead silent. They tip toed up the creaky steps to Jem’s bedroom, slipping into the bedroom and quietly shutting the door behind them. Cassidy carefully made her way across the room in the dark before Jem flipped the switch on the wall, flooding the room with light.

As usual, Jem’s room was a complete mess. Various articles of clothing were scattered across the floor. Empty glasses from the kitchen lined the window sill while empty water bottles overflowed from the tiny trash can. His bed was unmade, the blankets piled in a tangled heap.

Cassidy sighed as she sat down on the edge of Jem’s bed, flexing the fingers in her right hand. She rarely got into fights (that was Jem’s job) but she’d thrown a couple punches in her day and kicked a couple people while they were down. However, she was pretty sure Brendan-fucking-Leahy’s face broke her hand. And if that was the case, she would go after him and punch him with her other hand.

The bed sank to her right as Jem took a seat next to her. Gingerly, he grabbed her hand. “Really nice right hook, babe,” he said as he checked her knuckles for any significant injuries.

“Doesn’t feel nice,” she mumbled, inspecting her hand as well.

“I’ll get you some ice,” he said as he rose from the edge of the bed. “You gonna crash here tonight?”

Cassidy sighed. “Might as well.”

Jem leaned in and quickly pecked Cassidy on the lips. “Be right back.” He silently slipped from the room, his footsteps disappearing down the hall and stairs.

Sitting in silence, Cassidy thought about the rest of the argument at the party. Of course she’d attacked Brendan because of what he’d said about her mother, but Cassidy didn’t like that he took a jab at her and Jem’s sex life, or lack thereof. They’d had plenty of opportunities and the sexual tension between them when they were alone was palpable. But Cassidy wasn’t quite what was holding her back. She was still a virgin, but that had nothing to do with it. She supposed that she was afraid that if they did the deed, things would change immensely between them. She figured there was no chance of them turning back if they needed to.

And she’d given Jem plenty of opportunities to bring up the subject. The nights she crashed at his house, in his room, in his damn bed, she cuddled with him. And, surprisingly enough, he cuddled with her right back. She had a stash of clothes in his room that he obviously knew about for the times she crashed at his house. And for Christ’s sake, sometimes she’d wear one of his damn t-shirts to bed when she ran out of her own clothes. She was making it so easy for him and he wasn’t even trying.

Jem returned moments later with a plastic Ziploc bag full of ice wrapped up in a dish towel. He dropped onto the edge of the bed next to Cassidy and then took her right hand in his.

“Flex your fingers for me,” Jem said.

Cassidy nodded then took her hand from Jem’s. Nothing felt broken but there was a pretty nasty spattering of bruises that had begun to form on her knuckles so she couldn’t be too sure. She splayed her fingers apart, showing the webbing in between.

“Just keep some ice on it, all right?” Jem said as he gently rested the homemade ice pack on her hand.

Cassidy sighed in relief as the cool sensation spread through her hand.

“You know,” he drawled, his voice husky and low. Cassidy turned to face him, looking at him from underneath her lashes. “That was really sexy.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “You said that already.”

“You didn’t seem to notice it the first time around so I thought I’d tell you again.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes again before shoving him playfully with her uninjured hand. “I noticed. I had other things on my mind.”

Jem chuckled and then leaned in to press his lips to Cassidy’s. It was longer this time around and Cassidy kissed him back passionately, nipping his lower lip playfully. Jem growled in response and Cassidy felt something stir inside her. But before it could escalate, Jem had pulled away, breathing heavily.

“You going to get changed?” he asked huskily.

Cassidy shook her head, disappointment flooding through her body. “I’ll just sleep in this tonight.”

Jem nodded and then kicked off his shoes. He pulled his legs up onto the bed and then pulled Cassidy onto him. She fell onto him and then they scooted up the bed. Jem arranged the covers and draped it across their bodies before pulling Cassidy into his side.

Adjusting the ice pack on her hand, she cuddled into Jem’s side, resting her head on his shoulder. She was disappointed that things hadn’t escalated to the point of sex, but at the same time, she didn’t want things to change between them. 

Then again, she liked them just the way they were.


	3. Chapter 3

On Monday, Cassidy didn’t go to school.

Jem had been waiting for her outside of the school at dismissal time like usual. But when all of the students had vacated the building, Jem knew something was wrong. He’d grabbed one of the stragglers by the shirt collar and demanded he tell him where Cassidy was, but the kid simply trembled and cowered in the face of Jem Coughlin. Disgusted by the kid’s uselessness, he let him go.

This was the first time since they’d started dating that Cassidy had missed school. And if she was going to skip, Jem hoped she would’ve invited him over to hang out. But since there had been no phone call and no sign of her on school grounds, Jem’s mind raced as he thought of the worst possible scenario.

When the faculty and staff had vacated the building, Jem started walking – not running – up the road to Cassidy’s house. If he ran, it would’ve made him seem suspicious to the police that frequently patrolled the streets of Charlestown. Though he wanted to run the four blocks from the school to Cassidy’s house, he didn’t. 

In the homestretch, Jem did start to jog to Cassidy’s house. Since he’d left the school grounds, he’d started to worry that something was seriously wrong. His mind raced, thinking of every possible scenario. She’d been robbed. She’d been shot during one of her random runs she took at dusk. She’d been kidnapped. She’d been raped. Her house burned down. Her father died. She died.

By the time he reached the walkway leading up to her house, he was sprinting. He stomped up the front steps to her house and stumbled to the front door. Forgoing the doorbell – it had been broken for at least a month now – he pounded his fist on the door. It rattled on its hinges as Jem continued to beat it until Mr. Leary yanked the door open, seething at Jem.

“What do you want?” Mr. Leary sneered.

“Where’s Cass?” Jem asked, peering past Mr. Leary and into the house.

Mr. Leary scoffed before turning around to holler into the empty house. A couple seconds, the sounds of soft footfalls drew closer and Cassidy appeared behind her father. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt she’d stolen from Jem. She looked like she didn’t sleep at all in the last 24 hours since Jem had seen her, which made him worry even more.

With another scoff, Mr. Leary left Cassidy and Jem alone, disappearing into the depths of the house. When he was gone, Jem took a step towards Cassidy but the brunette didn’t meet Jem’s eyes.

“You okay? You weren’t in school,” Jem asked, dipping his head in hopes of meeting Cassidy’s gaze.

She shrugged. “I didn’t feel good.”

“So, you don’t call to let me know you’re staying home?”

“Since when do I have to tell you everything I do?” Cassidy snapped. Her gaze had flitted to Jem’s, eyes burning with rage.

Jem felt like he’d been slapped in the face. She hadn’t snapped at him out of anger since her mother’s funeral. Jem wondered what had happened in the past 24 hours to make her act like this. She’d been fine yesterday when she was over at his house for dinner and then he had walked her home around eight.

“Christ Cassidy, we live in fucking Charlestown. Shit happens. I thought something happened to you,” Jem snarled.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “God forbid I get really bad cramps during my period and don’t feel well enough to go to school.”

Jem visibly cringed. “Hey, okay, you didn’t have to use that word.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes again and shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest. “Is that it? I have homework to catch up on.”

Jem shook his head. “Whatever.”

Cassidy turned on her heel and grabbed the doorknob to the front door. Just as Jem turned, he caught sight of a dark bruise on her wrist. But before he could say anything, Cassidy shut the door in his face. 

He stood on her porch for a couple minutes, reeling over their encounter with one another. Her behavior had been awfully suspicious as of lately. When Jem had noticed the bruise on her hip at the party on Friday, she had nervously blamed it on running into her desk. But the lack of confidence in her voice had Jem convinced it was something else. Now a rather nasty bruise was on her wrist and Jem couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with her.

As far as Jem knew, she didn’t self harm. If she did, he would make sure to put a stop to it as soon as possible. Cassidy wasn’t a clumsy person either. Sure, everyone ran into something every once in a while but the odds of Cassidy injuring herself from running into something within a few days time was unlikely.

Unable to figure out what was going on, Jem turned on his heel and bounded down the porch steps to head home. If she was going to act like a bitch, then so be it. It didn’t bother him. He was only trying to be a good boyfriend. So if she was going to ignore him, he was going to go home and get higher than a fucking kite.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jem sat at the kitchen table with Krista to his left and Doug directly across from him. They sat in silence as Mrs. Coughlin slowly toiled at the stove, putting the finishing touches onto dinner. The three of them knew they should be helping Mrs. Coughlin with dinner. They knew she shouldn’t be working alone in her condition but they knew better than to interfere with Mama Coughlin’s cooking. Besides, Jem had gotten high immediately he had returned home from Cassidy’s house and he wouldn’t be surprised if Krista and Doug were finger fucking each other under the table. To say the three of them were unqualified to help was an understatement.

Mrs. Coughlin let out a raspy cough, burying her mouth in the crook of her arm. She hacked into her arm before clearing her throat and then returning her attention to dinner. Not once did either of the Coughlin kids or Doug acknowledge Mrs. Coughlin’s episode. They’d become accustomed to it and knew there was nothing they could do for her.

“Watch it,” Mrs. Coughlin said as she sidled up behind Krista and Doug. She placed a pan of steaming lasagna in the middle of the table before returning to the counter to grab the plates and silverware. She passed each kid a plate and a set of silverware before claiming the last empty chair at the table.

Silently, the oddball family helped themselves to a serving of lasagna and dug in. Forks scraped against china and glasses clinked against the plates as they reached for their drinks. Dinners in the Coughlin household were the quietest activity that took place in the house. But even then, the silence was uncomfortable.

As Jem finished up his first serving of lasagna and helped himself to another, he could feel his mom eyeing him. She knew he got high but she typically didn’t want it to happen under her roof. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach for her glass of Coke and sip thirstily. She swallowed her drink and then returned the glass to its proper place before stabbing her food with her fork.

“What’s Cassidy doing tonight, Jem?” Mrs. Coughlin asked curiously.

He knew it was only a matter of time until his mother brought up the subject. Cassidy had been spending an awful lot of time at the Coughlin household and the fact that she wasn’t here now definitely sent up a red flag.

Jem didn’t dare to meet his mother’s eyes. He knew that she knew he was high, but he didn’t want her to see the tell-tale signs. So he stabbed another piece of his lasagna and shoved it in his mouth. Shrugging his shoulders, he grunted in response.

“She’s been here the past couple nights,” Mrs. Coughlin stated. “Everything all right?”

Jem could feel all eyes on him now. Everyone except Jem had stopped eating, awaiting his answer. He finished chewing his food, swallowed, and then stabbed another piece of lasagna.

“I don’t know. She’s acting weird,” Jem mumbled.

“This have anything to do with Leahy and the fight on Friday?” Doug chimed in.

“What fight?” Mrs. Coughlin asked.

Jem sighed, dropping his fork on his plate. “Nothing, Ma.”

“Don’t you ‘Nothing, Ma’ me, James,” Mrs. Coughlin snapped firmly.

“Just this kid I hate,” Jem muttered. “He said some things. I walked away. Cass popped him in the mouth. We left. That’s it.”

Mrs. Coughlin’s jaw dropped but she immediately shut her mouth. “Don’t corrupt her, James,” she said. “She’s been through enough. The last thing we need is her heading to Walpole or something.”

Jem rolled his eyes, picked up his fork, and shoved the piece of lasagna into his mouth. As he chewed, he could feel three pairs of eyes on him. Suddenly, he wasn’t so hungry anymore. He swallowed the piece of lasagna that was in his mouth and then pushed away from the table.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” Jem said as he rose from his chair and then walked out of the kitchen. He didn’t want to talk about Cassidy anymore, especially since he didn’t exactly know what was going on with her. It wasn’t like her to just stay home from school and not tell him. He didn’t exactly buy her cramps excuse because even though Jem – or guys in general – didn’t like talking about that sort of stuff, he knew for a fact Cassidy didn’t get really bad cramps. She’d never complained about them in the past and she most certainly didn’t stay home from school because of them.

Stomping up the stairs to the second floor, Jem started to wonder if maybe Cassidy really was self-harming and not telling him. It was a strange way of doing it but he couldn’t think of any other excuse. Why else would there be strange marks on her body? Why else would she be so distant from him?

He reached the top of the stairs and crossed the hall to enter his bedroom. He stumbled across the floor, stepping over rumpled t-shirts and beer bottles, before flopping down on his bed. From downstairs, he could hear the muffled voices of his mother, sister, and Doug, carrying on a random conversation. Clearly his absence wasn’t good enough gossip for the dinner table, so they’d resorted to talking aimlessly about something else.

Folding his arms and tucking them behind his head, he stared up at the bleak ceiling. After a couple minutes, the voices of his mom, sister, and Doug had ceased downstairs and were replaced with the sound of rushing water. Mrs. Coughlin was most likely rinsing off the dishes to put in the dishwasher while Krista and Doug had slunk off somewhere to make out.

The silence in the house must have lulled Jem to sleep for he came to when he heard the doorbell ring. With a groan, he rolled onto his side and glanced at the alarm on top of his dresser across the room. It read 9:58.

The doorbell resonated throughout the house one more time and Jem groaned as he shoved a pillow on his head. Someone would get the door eventually, but that someone was not going to be Jem. The sound of Mrs. Coughlin’s slipper-clad feet shuffling towards the front door carried up the stairs. Jem let out a sigh and then rolled over as he heard the creak of the front door.

“Cassidy, sweetheart, what are you doing here?” Jem heard his mother ask.

Jem shot up in bed, his eyes growing wide out of shock. It was possible that she was coming to apologize, but it was strange that she’d shown up so late. He rolled off of his bed and stumbled across the room – his foot getting caught in a t-shirt through the process – before stepping into the hallway.

“Umm, my dad’s out drinking and I don’t want to stay home alone,” Jem heard Cassidy say. “Do you mind if I stay here tonight?”

“Of course!” Mrs. Coughlin said. The creak of the front door carried up the stairs and Jem figured his mother had invited Cassidy inside. “You’re always welcome here, Cassidy. Do you want something to eat? We have leftover lasagna.”

There was silence as Cassidy pondered Mrs. Coughlin’s offer. “No thanks,” she muttered. There was another bout of silence before Cassidy spoke again. “Umm, is Jem here?”

“As far as I know,” Mrs. Coughlin sighed. “Haven’t heard from him since dinner. He should be up in his room.”

“Thanks,” Jem heard Cassidy mumble before he heard her mount the bottom step and start to climb upstairs. Quickly, Jem scrambled back into his bedroom, tripping over the same t-shirt and flopping back down on his bed. He kicked off his shoes in a frenzy and then climbed underneath the covers. 

He’d just rolled onto his side and closed his eyes when he heard Cassidy enter his room, slowly and quietly. He heard her stumble in the dark until she reached his bed. Her hands gripped the edge of the bed as Jem felt her lean over him.

“Jem?” she whispered.

Jem grunted and feigned having just woken up. He rolled onto his back, rubbing his eyes with his fist. His eyes focused on Cassidy, who had pulled back from the bed once Jem rolled over. He could barely make out her silhouette in the dark room but he knew she was there.

“Hmm, what?” he grunted.

“Move over,” she ordered.

“You gonna explain why you were a complete bitch earlier?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

She reached out and shoved Jem in the shoulder before forcefully pushing him across the bed. He heard her kick off her shoes before climbing into bed next to him. Jem rolled his eyes at her in the dark before fluffing up his pillow to get comfortable. The brunette snuggled into Jem’s side, and even though he was mad at her, he still wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close.

He would get it out of her. He would find out why she was acting so strange. But for the time being, he was going to act normal towards her. He was going to welcome her into his bed. He was going to let her cuddle the hell out of him. In the end, she had to trust him and without that, there was no chance of Jem knowing the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! If anyone's reading this, let me know what you think! It's greatly appreciated and lets me know if the story is headed in a good direction.

By the end of the week, Cassidy knew she couldn’t avoid Jem any longer. Even though she’d crashed at his house several times throughout the week, she barely acknowledged him while she was there. Most of the time, she showed up late at night and then snuck up to his room where he was already fast asleep. Now, since the weekend was approaching, she couldn’t avoid him.

When the dismissal bell rang at 2:00, Cassidy sluggishly grabbed her belongings and headed out of her ninth period classroom. She struggled with her books and backpack as she walked down the hall to gather the rest of her belongings from her locker. She reached the small compartment and entered in the code to access her belongings. Pulling on the tab, she pulled open her locker door and began swapping the books in her arms for the proper books she needed for the weekend.

As she shoved her textbooks into her backpack, she felt a presence on the other side of her locker door. For a few seconds, she ignored them. She just figured it was her locker neighbor grabbing their things as well. But as she continued to shove her things into her backpack, she noticed her neighbor was merely leaning up against the lockers.

“Trouble in paradise, Miss Leary?”

Cassidy sighed. She knew that voice and she hated the person it belonged to. “What do you want, Leahy?” Cassidy yanked her jacket from her locker and slammed the door to find Brendan Leahy leaning up against the locker next to hers with a mischievous grin on his face.

“Just wondering what’s going on with you. Oh, and with Coughlin, of course. I’m offering a shoulder to cry on if you need it,” he said proudly.

“We’re fine, thank you very much,” she spat, rolling her eyes. She pulled her jacket on, hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder, and then started to stomp down the hall in hopes Brendan would leave her alone. Sadly, he didn’t, scurrying to keep up pace with her. He fell into step beside her, that sly grin still plastered across his face.

“Leave me alone, Leahy,” Cassidy grumbled, annoyed with his company.

“What? I’m just trying to start a conversation,” the monstrous boy mused innocently.

Cassidy rolled her eyes and fixed the strap of her backpack as she rounded the corner of the hallway. Immediately, she came face-to-face with Doug and Krista, holding hands and cuddling in the corner as they waited for her. Brendan was on her heels and she wished he’d disappear. If Jem didn’t kick his ass, Doug surely would.

Cassidy was about to turn around to Brendan, to tell him to go away, when Krista noticed her out of the corner of her eye. Krista lightly pushed Doug away from her and then nodded in Cassidy’s direction. Doug noticed Brendan’s presence behind Cassidy and stomped towards them with Krista on his heels. Doug’s fists were clenched and there was fury in his eyes as he stomped towards Brendan and Cassidy.

Cassidy jumped out of Doug’s way as he approached her, giving him a clear path for Brendan. Brendan was a monstrous boy in muscle but Doug was bigger in height, gaining the upper hand in this confrontation. Doug grabbed Brendan by the shirt and shoved him up against the wall, barricading him between his arms.

“Hey, easy there, Macray. We were just having a conversation,” Brendan said lightly with a chuckle.

“You’re lucky Jem doesn’t set foot in this school anymore, or I can guarantee you he would kick your ass into a fucking coma,” Doug threatened.

“Doug, stop,” Krista chimed in.

“Better listen to your blonde bitch over there, Macray,” Brendan said snidely.

Krista started to lunge forward, to take a swing at Brendan, but Cassidy grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back. Brendan chuckled maniacally. “You guys are out of your minds.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Doug, let’s go.”

Doug stared down Brendan, still pinned to the wall, before backing away, his eyes still locked on the monstrous boy. It wasn’t until Krista had put a hand on Doug’s arm when he looked away. The three walked down the hall, leaving Brendan and the altercation behind them.

When they stepped outside of the school, Cassidy noticed Jem pacing on the sidewalk across the street. It was at that moment she realized how horribly she’d been treating him for the past week. She’d been avoiding as much contact with him as possible, including eye contact whenever they were in the same room. Whenever she crashed at his place, she barely cuddled with him like she usually did; and when Jem tried to instigate it, she would stiffen at his touch.

She followed Doug and Krista across the street to meet with Jem. The elder Coughlin sibling was still pacing when they reached him. His shoulders were stiff and locked and his one arm was wrapped around his torso, supporting the elbow of his other arm. It was almost as if he was nervous about something. He turned on his heel and noticed Doug, Krista, and Cassidy standing a few feet away from him. He instantly relaxed, dropping his arms to his sides.

“Where were you?” he sighed in relief.

“Nice to see you too,” Doug shot back sarcastically. “We got held up. Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

Doug and Krista headed down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand with Krista’s head resting on Doug’s shoulder. Jem and Cassidy fell into step with one another, lagging several feet behind Doug and Krista.

“So, what are we going to do this weekend?” Jem asked. “I think Miles McCarthy’s having a party this weekend.”

Cassidy shrugged. “I was thinking of staying in. I have an essay due Monday and I have to read all of 1984.”

Jem scoffed. “Do it on Sunday. Let’s go out.”

She was doing it again, being distant. However, after last weekend’s confrontation with Brendan along with today’s run-in, Cassidy wasn’t in the mood to risk going to a party and see him there. The last thing she wanted was to be pulling Jem off of the guy during a fight. Or, hell, even confronting the guy herself.

“I’m just not in the mood, Jem,” she sighed. They’d stopped walking at that point, stopped dead in their tracks and their bodies turned towards one another. Doug and Krista were far from them, oblivious to their absence.

Jem shook his head in disbelief. “Whatever.”

Jem started to walk down the sidewalk again; Cassidy trailed behind him by a couple feet. It was true that she didn’t want to go out, but at the same time, she did.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked, stopping in her tracks again.

Jem stopped and turned around to face Cassidy. His hands were shoved in his jacket pockets and his shoulders were shrugged to keep his bare neck warm. “Mad at you? Nah, I’m not mad,” he said sarcastically. “I just want to know why you’re acting weird lately.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze to the ground. “I’m such a mess. I can’t keep it together since…” She trailed off, leaving the sentence unsaid but it spoke so many words. Jem knew exactly what she was talking about so she didn’t need to say it. The brunette drew in a deep breath and then released it before raising her head to look Jem in the eye. “I’m trying, Jem.”

Jem nodded and then jerked his head in Doug and Krista’s direction, who were basically tiny specks on the horizon. “Come on. Ma’s making tacos tonight. Have dinner with us then I’ll take you home.”

Cassidy couldn’t turn down an offer like that. Mrs. Coughlin did make pretty good tacos after all. She adjusted her backpack and then caught up with Jem so they could continue down the street to the Coughlin household.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cassidy couldn’t help but wonder if Jem had gotten into any trouble since he dropped her off at her house several hours ago. After having dinner with the Coughlins and Doug, Jem had walked her home only to ask her if she was sure she didn’t want to go to Miles McCarthy’s party. Cassidy had declined, claiming she had tons of homework, to which Jem gave her a disgusted look. In response, Cassidy merely giggled and then pecked Jem on the lips.

Jem didn’t walk away from her front porch until she was safe in the house and the door was locked behind her. Luckily for her, she had the house to herself. Friday nights were a late night for Mr. Leary, who typically worked until eleven and then drowned his sorrows at the nearest bar until three in the morning. After that, there would always be a fifty-fifty chance of him returning home. Other times, he got kicked out of the bar and passed out in the nearest alleyway until dawn. Some peace and quiet this evening was just what Cassidy needed.

However, ever since she sat down at her desk, she couldn’t focus. Her mind was on Jem and the possibility of whether or not Brendan would show up at the party. Brendan really knew how to get under Jem’s skin and that worried Cassidy. If Brendan showed up at McCarthy’s party tonight, there was no telling what Jem would do to him if he said the wrong thing. And since Cassidy wasn’t there to stop him (he almost always stopped when Cassidy intervened), there was a chance he could go too far.

She had decided that taking a shower would calm her nerves so around eleven o’clock, she stripped herself bare and then hopped in the shower. For about 20 minutes, she let the hot water roll down her back and soak her hair. When she found herself calm, she washed her hair and body and then rinsed before stepping out to dry off and get dressed.

The nerves had returned an hour later when she was about three chapters into 1984. Her mind started to race as she wondered about Jem. How drunk was he right now? Were Krista and Doug keeping him in line? Was Brendan at the party? Was Jem getting into trouble?

That’s ridiculous, Cassidy had thought to herself. This is Jem we’re talking about. Jem doesn’t stay out of trouble. Trouble finds him.

She’d ventured into the kitchen at that point to find a snack. She pulled a carton of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the freezer and then proceeded to eat straight out of the container. By the time she’d finished the entire carton, it was close to one o’clock, so she returned to her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her. In the event of her dad returning home drunk, she definitely didn’t want him stumbling into her room, reeking of beer and shame.

The nerves were at bay finally so she was able to accomplish reading half of 1984 when she heard a tap at her window around two in the morning. Cassidy’s breathing hitched in her throat, unable to see who was at the window since her curtains were drawn. The tap resonated again, and then a third time, and Cassidy found herself frozen on her bed, paralyzed with fear as she gripped the pages of her copy of 1984.

“Cass,” hissed the voice on the other side. “Cass, open up, it’s me.”

Cassidy released the breath she’d been holding in at the sound of Jem’s voice. She marked her place in her book before scrambling off of her bed to yank open the curtains. She found Jem leaning against the house outside her window so she quickly opened the window to allow Jem to climb in.

Less than gracefully, Jem climbed through the window and landed with a thud on Cassidy’s floor. Cassidy rolled her eyes. He was drunk, no doubt. Of course he’d come and bug her when all she wanted was a night of peace and quiet.

Jem writhed around on the floor until he rolled onto his back. It was then that Cassidy noticed the nasty bruise on his jaw and the blood spewing from his eyebrow. The brunette gasped and then bent over to aid Jem.

The moment she put her hands on him, he swatted her hands away before grunting. “I got it, Cass,” he grumbled. He rolled over again, this time onto his hands and knees, and then got himself into a standing position. “I’m not drunk by the way, if that’s what you were thinking,” he added.

Cassidy rolled her eyes then sighed. “What happened?” she breathed, reaching out to cup his face with her hands.

“Fucking Leahy got a little drunk and said some stupid shit. You should see him,” Jem explained, wiping the blow from his brow.

Cassidy rolled her eyes and then helped Jem towards her bed. With a hand on his stomach and an arm around his back, she helped lower him onto the edge of her bed. Jem grunted as he sat down on the edge and then eyed Cassidy from his peripheral vision. “I’m not a cripple, you know. I can get around just fine.”

“You could be concussed, shithead,” she shot back. Once Jem was situated on the edge of her bed, she stood upright and looked at him. She’d seen him in worse situations but this was not what she wanted to be doing at two in the morning. “Will you stay here and behave while I go to get some stuff to clean the blood off of you?” Jem nodded and, with a sigh of relief, Cassidy went to unlock her bedroom door and slipped out.

She padded down the hall and into the bathroom. She flicked on the light and began to rummage through the cabinets to find the necessary items she needed. After grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol, some bandages, and a couple cotton balls, she exited the room, turning off the light with her elbow. Her next stop was the kitchen where she collected a bag of ice and a few paper towels. When she had all of her necessary items, she padded back to her bedroom.

Slipping back into the room and locking the door behind her, she found Jem sprawled out on her bed on his back. If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, she would’ve thought he was dead. 

“Jem, don’t bleed all over my bed,” she scolded as she crossed the room and laid the first aid items on her bed.

“But it’s so comfortable,” he moaned. “Why do you always crash at my house when you have a bed this comfy?”

Cassidy brushed off his comment. “Whatever. Sit up so I can clean you up.”

Jem complied, grunting as he rose to an upright position. Cassidy dipped a cotton ball in the alcohol and then started to dab at the cut on Jem’s brow. Jem flinched and then swatted at Cassidy’s hand.

“Warn me first, yeah?” he spat.

Cassidy shook her head and rolled her eyes before proceeding to clean up the cut. While Cassidy continued cleaning up his face, Jem sat silently, only hissing whenever the rubbing alcohol stung. His skin was clean and free of blood when she stretched a bandage across his eyebrow, protecting the cut from the elements. When she was finished, she chucked the soiled cotton balls and paper towels in the trash and then handed Jem the bag of ice.

“Weren’t we in a similar situation a week ago?” Cassidy asked with a smirk.

Jem chuckled. “Yeah, I guess we were.”

“I’d tell you to calm your tits but I know it would just go in one ear and out the other.”

Jem chuckled again, awkwardly as the bag of ice was pressed up against his jaw. A beat of silence passed between the two of them as they sat next to each other on the edge of Cassidy’s bed. Cassidy was exhausted and all she really wanted to do was go to bed. But since Jem was here, there was no chance in that happening any time soon.

And then a thought occurred to her. Jem was here and her father was not. They were all alone in the house, just the two of them. Clearly Jem wasn’t thinking the same thing as her because he would be all over her if he was. It was obviously Cassidy’s job to make it happen.

Inching closer to Jem so that their shoulders were touching, she rested a hand on his thigh. Taken off guard, Jem jumped a bit. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, removing her hand from his leg and hanging her head in defeat. Of course he didn’t want her in that way. They could date but anything past a sexual relationship was off limits. She wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want her sexually so that things didn’t change between them. There would be no going back if they did.

“No, I just…wasn’t expecting that,” Jem mumbled. She felt Jem shift next to her, followed by the feeling of his chin resting on her shoulder. “Do you want this, Cass?”

She raised her head and slightly turned her head to the side, glancing at Jem out of the corner of her eye. “How is it not obvious?” she grumbled.

Jem removed his chin from her shoulder and swept her chestnut colored locks to the side. He nibbled her ear before placing a kiss underneath her jaw line. “I don’t want you to make a mistake, Cass,” he muttered in her ear, causing a shiver to run up and down her spine. “I get what you’ve been doing – cuddling, wearing my shirts to bed. I’ve noticed.”

“So let it happen,” she breathed as Jem kissed her neck tenderly.

“I want to…but I…can’t.”

Cassidy pulled away from him and shot him a confused expression. “The fuck does that mean?” she snapped angrily.

“Calm down, crazy,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “I want to. I want you, but I don’t want to do it unless you’re absolutely sure. I don’t want you doing this because Leahy’s teasing you.” Jem stopped for a second and thought pensively. “And I don’t want you to do this with me because…I mean, it’s me. I don’t want you to regret having sex with me.”

Cassidy shook her head and then reached out to cup a hand around the back of his neck. “I could never regret that, Jem.”

Jem stared into her eyes, icy blue connecting with green. “I love you, Cassidy.”

At first, Jem didn’t know what he was saying. Essentially, the phrase had slipped out. But who was he kidding. He really fucking loved her. Now, he just needed to know if she loved him back. Based on the expression on her face, it didn’t seem like the feeling was mutual.

A split second later, a grin spread across her face. “You love me?” she asked, biting her lip.

“That never leaves this room,” Jem shot back, jokingly but seriously at the same time.

Cassidy giggled. “I’m telling the whole fucking world that Jem Coughlin loves me…and I love him.”

A grin spread across Jem’s face as well, one big enough to rival Cassidy’s. He found himself being guided towards her lips and that’s when he remembered Cassidy’s hand was still wrapped around the back of his neck. Their lips connected and they hungrily kissed one another.

Things escalated as they fell backwards onto Cassidy’s bed and Jem climbed on top of her, not once breaking the kiss. Cassidy’s fingered the hem of Jem’s t-shirt and he slid a hand under her sleep shorts, eliciting a gasp from the brunette. Jem smirked to himself and then pulled away from Cassidy to peel his t-shirt from his body. He chucked the black garment on the floor and then smashed his lips against Cassidy’s as she hungrily kissed him.

“You sure, Cass?” he asked in between kisses.

In response, Cassidy pushed him off of her. At first, Jem was offended until he saw her pull her t-shirt off to reveal her bare chest. “Just fuck me, Coughlin.”

A mischievous smirk spread across Jem’s face and he fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans. He slithered out of his jeans and boxers, leaving him standing at the edge of Cassidy’s bed bare naked. Cassidy arched a seductive eyebrow at the sight of him before he climbed back on top of her, tore the rest of her clothes off of her, and screwed her to the point that he hoped they both couldn’t walk in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo? Anybody out there? If anyone is, feedback is welcome, therefore, greatly appreciated! :)

The sound of heavy footsteps and incessant banging roused Cassidy from her dreamy slumber. As she came to, the events of the night before swarmed her thoughts and a smile started to stretch across her face. Without even turning her head, she could feel Jem’s presence to her left as he slept soundly.

Cassidy had barely been ready for what had transpired last night. She hadn’t gone through with it because she wanted to get it over with. She didn’t go through with it because Brendan Leahy had been taunting both of them for months. She didn’t do it to cope with the loss of her mother. In the end, she did it because she loved Jem and Jem loved her. And of course, the opportunity presented itself and they couldn’t miss it.

Rolling over and inhaling the scent of Jem’s strong cologne, Cassidy cuddled into his side. Reflexively, Jem’s strong arm wrapped around her back and pulled her into his side. Jem grunted before slowly opening his eyes. He balled his free hand into a fist and rubbed his eyes, ridding them of sleep, before glancing at Cassidy, a smile playing on his lips.

“Morning,” he said with a sleepy smile.

“Morning,” Cassidy agreed, returning the gesture.

Jem reached his arm above his head and twisted it about to stretch the muscles before dropping it to his side. He nestled deeper into the mattress as Cassidy draped an arm across his bare chest. The sheets were pooled around Jem’s waist while the thin comforter was tangled around Cassidy’s body.

“So much for reading that book you needed to read,” Jem teased.

Cassidy giggled. “I still have the rest of the weekend,” she said. “From here on out, don’t distract me.”

“No promises.”

Cassidy squirmed in Jem’s grip to reach up and kiss him on the lips. Their lips connected and Cassidy felt her stomach do a somersault. The feelings from last night stirred up inside of her again, but she knew they couldn’t. Not so soon, at least, and certainly not while her father was in the house.

Cassidy rolled on top of Jem as his fingers threaded through her brown locks. She had let the comforter fall away from her body, leaving her bare and naked on top of an equally naked Jem. Playfully, Cassidy nipped at Jem’s lower lip and he growled in response.

Suddenly, a forceful pounding at Cassidy’s door caused them to pull apart and return to reality.

“Cassidy, get your ass up!” Mr. Leary boomed from the other side. “We have to go to the grocery story. Now.”

Cassidy’s eyes widened before turning back to face Jem. His demeanor was the same as usual – blank and uncaring – so Cassidy rolled off of him. “Do you think he just heard us?” she hissed.

“Don’t think so,” Jem said.

The pounding continued. “Cassidy, get up!”

“Jem, you have to get out of here before he breaks down that fucking door,” she whispered.

“You’re dad doesn’t scare me,” Jem griped. He pushed himself into sitting position before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. In one swift movement, his boxers were on, followed by his jeans, which reeked of beer.

“Yeah, well, he scares me so get your ass moving,” Cassidy said as she, too, rolled out of bed and hastily threw on her pajamas from last night. In the time it took Cassidy to pull her clothes on, Jem had finished dressing and then straightened out her bedding to make it seem like they hadn’t just had a romp in her bed the night before.

Cassidy’s bedroom door rattled on its hinges as Mr. Leary continued to pound his fist onto the door. The action caused Cassidy to nod her head spastically towards the window, as if to tell Jem to hurry up and get the hell out.

She walked swiftly across the room and reached the window just as Jem was swinging one leg outside. He hesitated on the windowsill, planting a sweet kiss on Cassidy’s lips. He muttered a quick “I love you” before slipping through the window and disappearing around the corner of the house.

Cassidy’s father didn’t let up on the pounding until Cassidy had finally opened the door. When she did, she feigned having just woken up, rubbing her eyes and faking a yawn.

“The fuck you been doing?” he growled.

“Sleeping. It’s Saturday,” Cassidy stated bluntly.

Her father rolled her eyes at her. “Whatever. We need to go to the grocery store. I’m leaving in 15 minutes so be ready.”

Mr. Leary stomped back down the hall, his hands balled into fists. Rolling her eyes, Cassidy turned back into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it. Glancing at her bed, she smiled to herself.

Nothing could possibly bring her down from this high.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jem walked into his house on Bunker Hill Street with a smirk and his head held high. It was still early for Krista and Doug to be awake, but there was no doubt that his mother would be up and around. After stepping over the threshold, Jem traipsed down the hall and into the kitchen, where, lo and behold, his mother was, seated at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and a bagel. She barely glanced up at Jem as she read the morning paper, merely grunting and then nodding towards the pot of coffee on the burner.

Crossing the length of the kitchen, Jem pulled a mug from the cabinet and then poured himself a steaming hot cup of coffee. He prepared it to his liking – one spoonful of sugar – before joining his mother at the kitchen table.

For several minutes, neither one of them acknowledged the other, simply sipping their coffee as the only way to know that the other was still in the room. Every so often, Mrs. Coughlin would noisily turn the page of her newspaper or nibble on her bagel. Then, the kitchen would be plunged back into silence.

Finally, after several more minutes, Mrs. Coughlin finally closed her paper, folded it up, and laid it on the table. Her gaze traveled from the black and white printed paper to her son seated directly across from her. She stared him down, judging him.

“Where were you last night?” she asked bluntly.

“At Cassidy’s,” he said with a shrug before taking a sip of coffee.

“I thought she said she had homework to do,” Mrs. Coughlin countered.

Jem shrugged again. “I thought I’d go see her.”

Mrs. Coughlin glared at her eldest child, narrowing her eyes to slits. Jem knew that look; he’d been on the receiving end of it one too many times. This was the look when Mrs. Coughlin was trying to figure out what exactly he’d been doing the night before. She knew he was lying, or at the very least, not telling the entire truth.

“What did I say about her, Jem?” Mrs. Coughlin asked condescendingly.

“Ma!” Jem whined.

“Don’t corrupt her,” Mrs. Coughlin cut in. “She’s a good kid.”

“Ma, I didn’t do anything!”

“You can’t fool me, James. I’m your goddamn mother,” Mrs. Coughlin spat. “I know very well that her father comes home late or sometimes not at all. I won’t mention what you two did, but so help me God, if something happens – and I think you know what that something is – you will suffer the consequences along with her.”

Jem rolled his eyes and then took another sip of coffee. Though they didn’t use protection last night, Jem did know Cassidy had been on the pill for about a year; her mom had been suspicious over her sexual activity – or lack thereof – and forced Cassidy to go on the pill. Jem just hoped she’d taken it before their time together last night.

“I’m just saying, James,” Mrs. Coughlin said as she picked at her half-eaten bagel. Her appetite had been dwindling as of recently, most likely due to the disease that was silently killing her body. “No offense, but you’re far from saving. But it’s not too late for her.”

His mother was right. He was fated to follow the path of his father, a life of crime and damnation. But not Cassidy, she could still find a better life outside of the Town. Hell, she could probably stay in the Town and live a better life.

Either way, Mrs. Coughlin knew what she was talking about. She was only looking out for Cassidy; she was looking out for her more than her own son. But it was only right since Mrs. Coughlin had known Cassidy since she was little and viewed the young girl as her own. Jem knew Cassidy didn’t need to worry because he and his mother and even Krista and Doug would take care of her. No matter what happened.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jem figured he’d give Cassidy the rest of the weekend to do her homework. It was the least he could do since he’d distracted her Friday night. He’d called her Saturday night to talk for a little bit before he went to a party with Doug and Krista; Cassidy mentioned she was almost done reading 1984.

As usual, Jem followed behind Krista and Doug to the party, allowing the lovebirds to cuddle and canoodle before the trio was surrounded by partygoers. They spent a few hours at the party before they grew bored and wandered the Town out of boredom. Krista had swiped a bottle of Jameson from the house on their way out, so they sat in a park, taking long swigs from the bottle of strong liquor.

Around three in the morning, they stumbled their way back to Bunker Hill Street. The house was dark as usual – Mrs. Coughlin having gone to bed hours ago – so they snuck in through the back door since that one made less noise. They searched through the kitchen pantries for something good to eat for about ten minutes before giving up and retiring to their rooms.

Climbing the stairs as quietly as drunken teenagers could, they reached the top and then disappeared into their rooms. Jem watched from his bedroom doorway as Krista and Doug stumbled into Krista’s bedroom – something they were forbidden from doing under Mrs. Coughlin’s roof but they often broke that rule.

Rolling his eyes at his sister and best friend’s stupidity, Jem stumbled into his own bedroom. He worked his way through his untidy room, carefully stepping over the mounds of clothes and empty water bottles. He stopped at the side of his bed and stripped his jeans from his body, chucking them across the room and into the dark. He stretched his arms above his head before climbing into bed, only to get pushed out and onto the floor.

“The fuck?” Jem growled, reaching above him and flicking on the lamp. The lamp faintly filled the room with light, illuminating the small lump underneath the covers. Long, chestnut colored hair spilled out from underneath the comforter and Jem suddenly relaxed.

“Cass?” he asked as he stood up. The brunette moaned from underneath the covers. She moved slightly but didn’t roll over to face Jem. “Hey, you okay?” he asked as he climbed back onto the bed and gently laid a hand on the curve of her waist.

Cassidy sighed in her sleep before rolling onto her back. She rubbed her eyes with her fist before blinking to focus her gaze on Jem. Then, she gave Jem a sleepy smile, pleased to see him. “You’re home,” she said roughly, her voice weighed down with sleep.

“Yeah, and you’re here,” he agreed with a chuckle. Cassidy pulled the covers down and patted the bed to let Jem know he should join her. He climbed underneath the covers and then propped himself up on his elbow. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, umm, I wanted to be here when you, uh, got back,” she said. Something in her voice had Jem convinced that she was lying. Not that he wasn’t happy to see her but she typically crashed at his house when she wanted to get away from her own, so this sudden appearance made him suspicious.

Then Jem remembered the way her father had spoken to her earlier that morning, pounding on her door and shouting to the heavens for her to wake up. Her father had never been such a bitter and cold person. Sure he could be a hard ass and a bit of a dick, but he’d never talked to Cassidy like that before. Certainly to Jem since Mr. Leary didn’t like Jem, but never to Cassidy.

Looking into Cassidy’s sleepy green eyes, he asked, “What’s really going on, Cass?”

“Nothing,” she replied immediately.

“Don’t give me that shit,” Jem growled. “I don’t care that you crash here, but your excuses are vague.”

Cassidy frowned before whipping the covers off of her body and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “Fine, I’ll go home then,” she snapped. She slipped her beat up Converse sneakers onto her feet and then jumped up from the edge of the bed.

Scrambling to get the sheets off of him, Jem fell out of bed and then intercepted Cassidy’s path to the door. “I never said I wanted you to leave.”

“Then what were you trying to say?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“Cass, what’s the excuse for you being here? You’re really vague. And those bullshit lies about those bruises - .”

“I told you, I ran into my desk!” she interjected.

“Oh yeah, and what about the one on your wrist?” Jem asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she scoffed.

“The day that you stayed home from school because of cramps – which, by the way, that was a bullshit excuse too – I saw a bruise on your wrist,” Jem shot back.

Cassidy stared back at him with an ice, cold glare. He knew he struck a nerve. He was going to find out sooner or later – and he hoped she knew that – so she couldn’t keep this from him for much longer.

Suddenly, the brunette’s defenses fell, her face falling in sorrow and her arms dropping to her sides. Jem didn’t reach out for her, merely waiting for some sort of response to his questions. After a couple seconds, she pulled up the sleeve to her sweatshirt to reveal a nasty bruise on her forearm. At first, Jem just stared in awe, his jaw dropping in astonishment. But after a couple seconds, he reached out and gingerly grabbed her arm, cradling it between his hands.

“Cass?” Jem asked, his ice blue eyes staring into hers.

But her gaze wouldn’t meet his. To Jem, it seemed as if she was ashamed of what had happened to her. She yanked her arm from Jem’s grasp and then pulled the sleeve back down, covering the black and purple bruise.

“It’s nothing, okay?” she mumbled.

“No, Cass, that’s not nothing,” Jem snarled.

Cassidy merely shrugged her shoulders. “I can handle it.”

“Handle what?”

“My dad, he doesn’t…he doesn’t know his own strength.”

Jem could’ve sworn his heart stopped for a millisecond. If he heard her right, she’d basically just admitted her father hurts her.

“Cass, no, that’s not okay!” Jem said as he grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her.

“Jem, I can handle it. I am handling it,” she snapped. “Now do you want me to leave or do you want me to stay?”

Jem knew that if he pushed this any further, he’d lose her completely. He didn’t like what was happening and he didn’t like that Cassidy had lied to him about it. He had so many more questions and concerns, but judging by the drooping of Cassidy’s eyelids, there wasn’t time for that tonight. So, Jem simply took her by the hand and led her back to bed.

Jem climbed in after her and pulled the covers up to their chests. Within minutes, Cassidy was asleep. But Jem barely slept a wink that night, for he spent the time devising ways to make Mr. Leary pay.


End file.
